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The Water Feature: A timeless addition to your home or garden

How often do you close your eyes and just listen to the Gulf of Mexico or the flow of the Blackwater River? Do you listen to the rain and feel a calming effect? Often ambient music and sound effects feature the sounds of water to precipitate a feelin

How often do you close your eyes and just listen to the Gulf of Mexico or the flow of the Blackwater River? Do you listen to the rain and feel a calming effect? Often ambient music and sound effects feature the sounds of water to precipitate a feeling of calm.
In fact, according to meditation and yoga teacher Anne Koller, “The image of water is commonly used in meditation as a symbol of the infinite flow that moves through blockages and unlocks inner peace and healing.”
James Martin, the owner of Gulfside Landscaping, notes that people are always drawn to water, and while not everyone can live on the water, being able to bring it to their location as a water feature makes it accessible to anyone.
Some of the earliest water features were created on practical, needed places like aqueducts, where ornate heads were placed at the spout. This gave way to metal fountains and eventually organic features such as water gardens and the pondless, stacked rock formations.
“When you connect the dots with landscaping, the smell of flowers and you incorporate another element with water, you’re appealing to the human senses, says Martin.

“It’s the combination of water, fragrance, the sight and sound of the birds combined with the sight and sound of the water creates a complete sensory experience for the garden and anyone walking through the garden,” says Martin.
With water being a timeless element in our lives, it’s no wonder that a project of Martin’s, Timeless Tanglewood, owned by Fred Levin, includes four different types of water features.

• Pondless (The Marilyn Levin Pensacola Camellia Preservation Garden), No visible standing water, with water being collected and pumped from underneath. This is a popular feature, as it’s easy to maintain. • Moat/Water Garden (Crimean War Cannon Garden), A garden effect with a flowing water moat with plant life and rocks, which guests walk through. • Fountain (Irving Berlin Fountain), A vintage water feature from the early 1900s. Often fountains feature many tiers allowing for water to flow and trickle down into a pool below. • Kinetic Pond (Amphitrite’s Garden), Kinetic energy moves in a circular motion to bubble around the center statue.

Each home is different and while Martin notes that, “the landscape and architectural style of the house or structure on the property dictates that type of water feature you’re going to have,” the fact is that any property can add even the simplest water feature and enjoy its calming effects.